"You've got lots of good advice here and I just had to add mine because I suffer from hives-- diagnosed as 'ideopathic urticara'- for months at a time.

The best advice my dermatologist ever gave me: Don't scratch. When you scratch your cells burst and release histamines... you may find yourself swollen. I have had this condition to the point of being disfigured and in the ER being pumped full of steroids.

My advice: Don't drive yourself insane trying to find a cause to your hives. The immune system is a mystery.

Your doctor will help you find the right histamine blocker. All those anti-histamines out there block differently... you have to experiment until one works for you. In my case, it's Allegra-- you could also try Zyrtec or Claritin. (Those are the big three used to combat hives.)

Also, use a cool pack to keep the hotspots from drving you insane. Avoid hot showers, use a bath oil after bathing and PAT dry-- do NOT rub!"

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